May 18th is International Museum Day and in celebration several local museums are offering free admission, including the Harvard Art Museums and, in the evening, the MFA. Smithsonian Magazine offers a list of other museums in the area that are participating. For more information about the entire event (which libraries can participate in as well), check out the International Museum Day 2011 website.
Archive for the ‘Art Libraries’ Category
International Museum Day
Wednesday, May 4th, 2011Patriots Day in Providence
Saturday, April 30th, 2011
Fleet Library, Providence, RI. .Photo courtesy of Emily Glinert
Guest post from Panopticon Co-Chair, Emily Glinert about Panopticon’s day trip to Providence:
On April 18, six members of Panopticon met in Providence, Rhode Island to spend the day touring the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and Providence Athenaeum.
Our tour began in Fleet Library where Ellen Petraits, Reference Librarian, greeted us. Ellen took us throughout the library showing us how a former bank was converted to be a state of the art library. Because the building is a historical landmark, the space had to be used creatively without changing any of the original structure. It is truly a sight to behold! Ellen also took us to see Technical Services and the Visual Resources Center, where we got to learn more about the different aspects of the collections.
Following our time with Ellen, we met Laurie Whitehill Chong for a tour of the RISD Special Collections. Not only did we have the opportunity to see the unique objects in the archives, but Laurie also took out some of the unique works from the Artists Books for us to see. One of the highlights from this collection was a book by Angela Lorenz that had been written on six sheets of linen and then each individual piece of linen was contained within a bar of soap! You can view the work here.
Next, we walked to the Providence Athenaeum, where we met Kate Wodehouse, Collections Librarian. Kate took us on a comprehensive tour of the library and explained some of the history to us as well, including where Edgar Allen Poe is rumored to have met his girlfriend at the time, Sarah Helen Whitman. We also spent time viewing some of the unique pieces of the collection including some of the sources Melville used to write Moby Dick!
After our meeting with Kate, it was time to go home. Despite some tired feet, we all enjoyed the tours greatly and learned a lot about the many aspects of art librarianship.
Many thanks to RISD, the Providence Athenaeum, Ellen Petraits, Laurie Whitehill Chong, Kate Wodhouse and Abby Saunders for all of your help to make our trip to Providence a success.
Providence Trip Photos
Sunday, April 24th, 2011
Did you miss Panopticon’s trip to Providence? If so, check out photos from the trip including images from the Providence Athenaeum, RSID’s Fleet Library and RSID’s Special Collection. All of these images and other images from past events are available on Panopticon’s Flickr photostream. These photos are also available on the Past Events page of Panopticon’s new website.
And, stay tuned here for a summary of the trip with information about all of the collections that we toured.
Music Librarian Posting
Wednesday, April 20th, 2011Check out the Simmons Jobs and Opportunities Blog for an opening at the Boston Conservatory. The library is hiring a Public Services Librarian to oversee the circulation desk. This is the perfect position if you have a background in music. More information is available in the full job post or on the Boston Conservatory’s website.
Providence Day Trip – April 18
Tuesday, April 12th, 2011On Monday, April 18th, Panopticon will be taking a trip to Providence to tour three unique collections. The full itinerary for the day is as follows:
11:50 am: A group will be departing from Simmons. We will meet in the lounge on the second floor of the Palace Road building and walk to Ruggles Station to take the 12:18 train to Providence, arriving at 1:17 pm. Following this, there will be some time to get a snack/lunch and stretch your legs. For those meeting us in Providence, please meet at the Fleet Library entrance around 2 pm.
2:15 pm: Rhode Island School of Design Fleet Library tour. We will meet Reference Librarian, Ellen Petraits, who will give us a tour and more information about both Fleet Library and its place at the school.
3:00 pm: Rhode Island School of Design Special Collections tour. Laurie Whitehill Chong, Special Collections Librarian, will discuss the current exhibit being installed and show us some of the unique materials in the library, as well as discussing the difference between art school libraries and other academic libraries.
4:00 pm: Providence Athenaeum tour with Kate Wodehouse, Collections Librarian. See the Athenaeum and learn more about what makes it a unique institution.
If you have questions or would like to join us, email panopticon at simmons dot edu. Spaces are limited, so email soon if you would like to come!
Call for Papers
Sunday, April 10th, 2011If you are interested in scholarship in the field of art librarianship, check out the call for papers for next year’s ARLIS/NA conference. 2012 will be the 40th anniversary conference and it is being held in Toronto. The theme will be “Colouring Outside the Lines.” Abstracts are due by May 15th, so don’t delay! For more information, including abstract guidelines and thematic areas, see the online submission form.
Day Trip to Providence
Thursday, April 7th, 2011On Monday, April 18th, take a trip to Providence with Panopticon! Our itinerary includes visits to the Rhode Island School of Design Fleet Library and Special Collections, RISD Museum of Art, and the Providence Athenaeum. A group will be leaving from Simmons and taking the commuter rail or you can meet us in Providence. We will be circulating more information on our listserv soon, but for now, save the date!
Work with ArLiSNAP
Wednesday, March 30th, 2011ArLiSNAP is looking to fill several positions:
- The Liaison Coordinator will coordinate with both existing student groups and newly forming groups.
- The Mentorship Coordinator will seek out and coordinate mentorship opportunities for those interested in art librarianship.
- The Discussion Coordinator will facilitate ongoing discussions by posting on topics of interest to the membership.
- The Blog Poster will be responsible for creating high-quality blog posts for the ArLiSNAP blog on topics of interest to both students and young professionals in the field.
Further information on all of these positions and other ways to get involved is available on the ArLiSNAP blog.
2011 ARLIS/NA VRA Conference
Saturday, March 26th, 2011If you weren’t able to go to Minneapolis for this year’s joint ARLIS/NA VRA Conference, you still have a chance to keep up on everything that is happening at the conference. Greg Borman is writing a series of blog posts on ArLiSNAP’s blog summarizing his experience at the conference. These posts are a great way to see what’s happening in the world of art and visual resource librarianship from the comfort of your own home.
Volunteer Positions at the SMFA Library
Thursday, March 17th, 2011The SMFA Library is currently seeking two volunteers for very different positions. The Journalist Volunteer will produce communications to promote the Library’s services and programs and will assist with promotion of the library to the school community. The Copy Cataloging Volunteer will work with the librarian and associate librarian on processing and cataloging donations and new acquisitions. This is an exciting opportunity to gain valuable library experience while also helping a local art library! More information on both of these positions and the application process can be found on the volunteer opportunity webpage.